On the morning of 22 September, Russian forces dropped four FAB-250 aerial bombs fitted with UMPC modules on the old part of Kramatorsk. The Church of the Nativity of St John the Baptist sustained significant damage. A 58-year-old man was killed in the attack and two other people were injured, the National Police reported.
Briefly about the main points
- The Church of the Nativity of St John the Baptist has its walls in ruins and its dome damaged.
- The shock wave caused deformation to the building’s metal structures.
- The strike was recorded in the old part of the city at around 10.16.
- At least 54 private homes and a car were damaged.
- The police have classified the attack as a breach of the laws of war.
Photographs have revealed the extent of the damage to the church
The Information and Outreach Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has released photographs and reported serious damage to the religious building. The images show sections of the walls that have been destroyed, damage to the roof and dome, and exposed load-bearing structures.
The blast wave twisted the metal structures, and the area around the building is littered with debris. Part of the main structure has survived, so we are talking about significant damage rather than the complete destruction of the church.
Official reports do not confirm whether the church itself was directly hit. As of the morning of 23 September, there had been no reports of casualties on the church grounds.
The old part of the city was hit
According to police reports, the attack took place at around 10.16. Russian forces used aerial bombs fitted with universal guidance and correction modules; strikes were recorded in the old part of town Kramatorsk.
The UMPK converts a standard aerial bomb into a gliding munition that an aircraft can drop from a distance from the front line. At the same time, the information provided by the law enforcement agencies does not give grounds to claim that the church was the specific target of the attack.
The police are documenting the aftermath and investigating the attack
A 53-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were injured. In addition to the place of worship and other infrastructure facilities, at least 54 private homes and a car were damaged.
Investigative and operational teams, paramedics and bomb disposal experts were at the scenes of the attacks. The police classified the attack as Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — violations of the laws and customs of war.
The full extent of the damage to the church, the technical condition of its structures and the feasibility of its restoration have not been publicly announced.
